Student sets example

Date Released: Thu, 10 March 2016 10:27 +0200

By Devon Koen

Recipient of NSFAS funding at Rhodes donates money to help others

DETERMINED to make a difference, a Rhodes University student and National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) recipient has pledged to donate R100 a month to help someone else make a success of their studies.

Naseem Khan, 18, originally from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal, applied for NSFAS funding last year while applying to study at Rhodes.

“I applied for it when I first applied . . . and thereafter filled in the forms when it was available,” he said, adding that it was the first time he had applied for NSFAS funding.

Khan is in his first year at university and is studying pharmacy.

With strong praise for his mother, Khan said they had spent countless late nights filling in forms for the various bursary applications.

According to Khan, his family, including his four siblings, had been in financial difficulty for a long time.

“We did not leave any stone unturned in order to ensure that we would somehow get sufficient funding,” he said.

Outlining the various ups and downs in securing funding, Khan said he had decided to give back in the best way possible.

He has pledged to donate R100 every month to help a fellow student. He will also be donating a few toiletries.